ABSTRACT
Stable partnerships, of which good marriages are the prototype, promote wellbeing in children and adults by facilitating economic security, stable employment, and adequate housing and social support (Waite & Gallagher, 2000). Thus, as Thomson notes in her chapter (this volume) on cross-national comparisons of nonmarital childbearing patterns, it matters whether children are born to single mothers, cohabiting couples, or married parents because these various family structures are differentially associated with access to material resources and social capital that promote positive human development. Theoretically, stable partnerships can include long-lasting cohabitations. However, as Thomson notes, although cohabitation is becoming increasingly common in western, developed nations, cohabitations tend to be less stable than marriages, even when cohabiting couples have children.
